Well, that was the biggest anti-climax ever. I wanted the Dutch to win, but Paul the Octopus got it right again. Bugger.

England’s performnce was abysmal. Enough said.

Unfortunately, I didn’t miss blogging even a little bit. I manged to read about three books, all DNFs. I think my relationship with romance novels is coming to a painful end, but hopefully one day, I’ll read an amazing book that inspires me to return to roms again, in the mean time, crime and thriller books are where it’s at.

We currently have my brother staying with us. He was in a car accident, fractured his wrist, and broke his leg in three places. He needed somebody to look after him, and I knew that it would be too much for my mother, so TTG and I have taken on the job. First couple of days were rough, seeing as he’s been in hospital for three weeks and hadn’t really been moving around. We’re all adjusting well. I hope he copes on his own when we’re both away overnight.

I think I caught on Twitter that DA Jane is pregnant, so huge congrats luvvie. Ooops, Jane isn’t preggers after all, my mistake, lack of following threads properly an all that, hehe.

I’m currently loving the new Budweiser Designated Driver ad. So funny.

Thanks to AL for holding the fort whilst I’ve been away, muchos appreciated.

I have sweet fuck all else to say, so I’m signing off now, I’ll catch you guys later on in the week. Maybe.

Back in 2005, I wrote a post entitled Step-Siblings Falling In Love – Is It Yucky For You? This seems to be one of the most popular pages that random Googlers come across here at KKB.

Basically, I was asking whether or not romance readers were comfortable with plot devices featuring step-siblings who fall in love. Every now and then somebody actually posts a comment on this thread – check out the latest one by a reader called Dezz:

…While I agree with everyone — I find nothing wrong with step-siblings get together, I myself could not see myself with my stepbrother. I have 3, all older than me, and 2 more ex- step brothers, both older than me as well. I can honestly say I view them as my brother’s and the ick factor is quite high when thinking about them as anything else.

However I have (somewhat) of a similar situation. One of my brother’s best friends recently came back after being away for 3 years. He is now 23 while I’m 17 and since we haven’t seen each other in so long feelings have somewhat changed. However, he is like my family. He practically grew up at our house and eventually moved in with us when he was older. Now he lives with my brother and I still see him constantly. He works for my step-father and is eventually buying the company… therefore putting him in my life forever. When I say I’ve known him forever it’s true. I should view him as a brother but I don’t.

A few months after he came back we told each other our feelings. However I’m to young and he doesn’t want to ruin anything. Basically we can never be together because of the family. So in a sense it’s slightly the same. And let me just say, it sucks.

I think her situation is probably different, seeing as it’s her brother’s best friend, rather than a step-sibling, but it did strike me as rather sad. Mind you, she’s only seventeen, so it may just be infatuation on her part.

Dezz’s story was in response to this question that I posed at the time:

…what if the step-brother and step-sister featured in the romance story, were actually brought up together? Does that make for a higher ewww factor, or would it not bother you either way?

Step-siblings who’d grown up together and happened to fall in love wouldn’t bother me too much, my biggest problem would be sexual relationships between blood brothers and sisters.

What say you? Is there a higher ick factor when the two protags are step-siblings who grew up together, or not? Would you be interested in reading such books?

When a man makes a point of telling you, “I am the most intelligent man/person you’ll ever meet,” he may or may not be right about his intelligence; but the fact that he felt compelled to point it out rather than simply being (show,  not tell) says volumes more about his character than his self-proclaimed brilliance.

*~~*~~*~~*~~*

This observation may seem a tad sexist, but it’s based on the fact that in 44 years I’ve yet to hear a woman say this, while I’ve met my share of men who have.

Oh my gosh, you have got to check out this seventy-five year old British pensioner who won the Spanish equivalent of Britain/America’s Got Talent. Meet Paddy Jones!

I really hope she doesn’t put a hip out or something. How amazing was she?

No, I’m not talking about war and soldiers–I’m talking about teenagers and sex.

I may be wrong–though it seems the CDC is leaning towards agreeing with me–but given my own experiences as a teen (and the fact that I have really vivid memories of many of those… *cough*) it never has made sense to me to say, “just don’t do it and you’ll be fine” and then actually expect teens to “not do it”.

Ostrich and sand kind of thing, I’ve always thought.

And a bit like saying to a young kid, “Don’t talk to strangers!” and then being horrified that the overwhelming majority of abuse comes from people close to the kids.

Teach them all they need to know, and then let them make their own choices–they’ll make them anyway, isn’t it much better that they be informed ones?

Arm your kids with knowledge.

Do you ever feel the urge to say, to a loved one (or a friend, or well meaning relative, acquaintance, etc.), “I don’t know where you get your information, but it doesn’t apply to my reality”?

I confess I’ve been having to exercise restrain not to do that myself, just now.

You Are Blooming Flowers

You are an optimistic person by nature. In even the darkest times, you are hopeful about the future. You feel truly blessed in life and can sometimes be overwhelmed with emotions. You have an artist’s eye. You are always looking for beauty in the mundane. You have a good sense of aesthetics, especially when it comes to shapes and color.

(thank you to the BookLoversMessageBoard for the quiz)

(even though she blames Kwana)

Now you too can go get your hero on!

I give you permission to file this post under ‘Far Too Much Information Luvvie!’

Sooo, enquiring minds want to know if this request by your lover during the throes of sex ever works?

It just seems to me that every hero in every book seems to use this line, and as if by magic, the heroine orgasms instantly.

I can tell you that it’s never worked for me. I orgasm when I’m good and ready, and not before.

Just sayin’.

So, the country came to a stop today just because of a little snow. Ok, maybe not so little, but still, how can a country like England not know how to deal with the white stuff? I wouldn’t mind, but we knew it was coming three days ago!

Anyhow, 1 in 5 people stayed off work today, costing employers over £1bn.

Personally, I found it was the perfect time to visit the post office, and do my big food shop. I was able to park across two car parking spaces, because the supermarket was so quiet. I was paranoid about women who can’t drive in the snow hitting my car, whilst attempting to park, which is why I selfishly used two parking spaces.

Yeah, yeah, I’m probably being a tad sexist, but having watched women with no spatial awareness whatsoever, have crunches in supermarket car parks for a number of years now, I thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

My final journey happened at 11pm tonight, when I drove over to my brother’s house to make sure everything was ok. They’re on hols at the mo, so I’m charged with looking after their property.

The snow was falling even heavier tonight, and I nearly got stuck up the hill, but I just about made it.

Anyhoo, I’m off to watch Lipstick Jungle now, after my big snow day.

G’night!